Community connections forged through digital engagement result in rich feedback, data-driven project decisions, and a more cohesive government.
In an early stage of using their platform, City of Baytown staff received over 700 survey responses; a result exponentially higher than could be reached through their open houses or in-person meetings in the past.
When the City launched a public art contest for columns to be placed around the community, they were astounded to receive 800 votes in the contest.
Prior to launching Baytown Engage, City staff received 55 responses to a particular survey. When using the digital platform to survey that same area later, City staff were thrilled to receive over 350 responses.
In one year, just months after the initial launch, Baytown Engage received 30,000 visits.
Missing From the Mix: Concerted Community Engagement
A drive to experiment and innovate moves a city towards online engagement
Before implementing EngagementHQ, the City of Baytown, Texas lacked a community engagement team and a dedicated process for public involvement. Their Public Works department occasionally hosted open houses for the public, but with a large majority of the town being shift workers, evening meetings didn’t work for many people. Additionally, they didn’t find social media outreach to be the best method for their communications.
Upon hiring community engagement staff, the city knew they now had a shepherd for their public communications, which had been a goal for years. The COVID-19 pandemic made it clear that engagement was going to look different moving forward, and staff looked for an online solution for bringing their residents together on local projects.
The City of Baytown was ready to experiment and be innovative in their approach to public involvement.
Creating an Online Space for Far-reaching, Two-way Dialogue
Truly listening to a community achieves long-term buy-in on public projects
The city of Baytown launched Baytown Engage in September 2020 and soon after, staff realized the benefits of the solution for their team, and for the community.
“The reporting tools give [the data] to us nice and neat. Which makes it easier for us to relay that information to City Council, change our marketing tactics, or just quickly check on a project for current statistics. It’s very friendly to use.”
– Sabrina Martin
In an early stage of using their platform, staff received over 700 survey responses; a result exponentially higher than could be reached through an open house. They saw the potential for Baytown Engage to empower more voices in their community through a platform that was available 24/7.
“We were blown away that we were actually meeting people where they are. That’s been a big part for our community — they’re seeing that we are being transparent, that we’re open, and that we’re responding in a timely manner that’s helpful for them.” – Sabrina Martin
Soon they experienced a big win by placing details of their comprehensive plan on Baytown Engage and receiving feedback from the community. After that, internal departments began to rely on the platform for interaction with the public.
“We taught [staff] that it’s for two-way dialogue, and you have to want something from the public for it to make sense in the end. Thoughtful interaction points result in high-value data.” – Jamie Eustace, Library Director, City of Baytown
Baytown engineering staff witnessed the power of truly listening to the community when they launched a street reconstruction project in a neighborhood and posted the details on Baytown Engage. They were surprised to discover that the residents didn’t so much care about the project itself, as much as they did the safety issues around it. Neighborhood residents wanted safety measures such as speed cushions and lighted stop signs.
The engineering department wasn’t aware safety was an issue in that area until it was raised by the residents. The feedback influenced the planning, and after the project was in place the city ended up changing an ordinance. By receiving community feedback early in the process, staff not only learned new things, but also minimized project pushback that could have led to unexpected major costs for Baytown.
A Focus on Accurate Information Results in Deep-seated Public Trust
Transparent information, housed in one place, saves time and decreases confusion
Through their use of EngagementHQ, the city of Baytown has realized many successes with their community.
Baytown staff is pleased by the number of people who are receiving accurate information about local projects, in one place. Staff aim to tell residents why a project is taking place, explain how it will impact them, mitigate concerns, and eliminate the need to call multiple departments for answers. The information is all in one place.
Baytown is proud of their local artist community and their digital engagement platform has only elevated and connected that community more. They use the Ideas tool in EngagementHQ to help their Public Art Visioning Committee decide on projects and themes.
A storm drain painting contest was held, as well as a traffic control cabinet art contest, and both resulted in meaningful public engagement, feel-good projects, and beautiful public art.
“The community loved this. We originally were going to do ten traffic control cabinets but ended up doing 28 because the community loved it so much,” –Sabrina Martin
Within the first year, the obvious success of EngagementHQ had an impact on securing funding for more projects, expansion of programs, and another position in community engagement.
Integrating a Digital Platform into Local Government
City of Baytown staff have cracked the code on effectively integrating a digital engagement platform into their local government agency. Their tips for success include:
